Last quarter was interesting because we inherited two new enterprise accounts and we were pulled into a third with a hosted project that was headed south. In working with the IT folks at all companies, we were able to address concerns and talk about bullet proofing their wares.The premise for circuit protection is to reduce hardware failures, downtime and time to repair or restore. MPLS is far, far from being exempt of needing adequate protection. Someone in the IT department should be aware that these circuits are in fact usually connected to expensive gear. Not only do MPLS spans need protection, but all your circuits -analog, T1/PRI, Ethernet, and ancillary circuits do as well. The first thing to qualify is whether or not there is high voltage protection--and customers assume there is, but it's not always the case. Then you need to assess the operating voltages for each circuit you are dealing with and those of the equipment connected to it.
ITW/Linx manufactures a line of bridging clips that are secondary (low voltage) protectors that plug into either a 66 block or wire into 110 blocks. The key to selecting the right protector is to know what it is that you are protecting: a digital or IP phone, Ethernet devices, analog gear, etc. These protectors must match the operating voltage range of the devices. You wouldn't install a 75Volt DC protector on a digital telephone operating in the 24Volt DC window, and you wouldn't install the 39 Volt DC protector on a T1 or PRI that operates in a higher voltage range up to 75Volts DC.
There is a second assumption that customers make and that is the TELCO or provider has provided "circuit protection." Both assumptions are wrong and in fact, many customers lack any protection. The other reasons that circuit protection is lacking is because the vendor doesn't want to miss the opportunity by bidding at a higher cost, or they don't care or they don't know; and then there's the customer that doesn't want to pay. Now for those customers with both high and low voltage secondary protectors, you are assuredly in better positions than those without either or both. Lightning may strike and you are safer. But for those lower level voltages that occur often, they will go right by the high voltage protectors because they are out of range. Unfortunately, when they do hit your gear, the transient or surge is at a higher voltage than is acceptable to the gear. Thus the reason you don't do one without the other and you always do both.
For those with private cable plants you can also look to Porta Systems for high voltage protection, and in the low voltage there's also Panamax. There are numerous products for circuit protection and do pay close attention to clamping times or response times, operating voltages, whether or not the protector is fused (replaceable) or auto resetting (solid state) and if you do buy fuses or bridging protectors - don't forget to purchase spares. Also pay attention to the installation practices. Often we find no grounding, and grounding is an essential element for any protection. There are some enterprises that self-insure, there are countless businesses small to global that have no assurance that their gear is protected, when in fact all they really do have are assumptions.
